Andre Drummond thread

Its soo hard for us fans to go thru the process of wanting more, but we arn't going to win a ton of games this year or win a championship this year. So if there is a plan I for one will be patient and wait....

I do assume though that the plan will be looked at and changed at points in the season if he keeps beating the curve that was planned on, but a game or a week shouldn't change the plan laid out. I just hope that the communication between coaches and players is working so Drummond understands why his play isn't being given instant rewards.

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So you think the only communication from Drummond is from his coach? I think not.

Rodney could no longer take the heat. This was not from anyone in the organization.

Scott Skiles is insane with his rotations. Players revolve in and out of his doghouse daily. Henson had 17 and 18 rebounds last Wednesday. In the next game, Henson played 1 minute. I only know this because I was stupid enough to snatch him off the waiver wire after his big game....

Scott Skiles is insane with his rotations. Players revolve in and out of his doghouse daily. Henson had 17 and 18 rebounds last Wednesday. In the next game, Henson played 1 minute. I only know this because I was stupid enough to snatch him off the waiver wire after his big game....

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If Frank did that to Drummond there would be uncontrollable cyber anarchy here!

The more I see Drummond play the more I understand why he fell to us. This kid has a ton of physical tools and gifts, he's big, strong, extremely fast, quick, has a solid feel for the game, a great soft touch around the rim that Shaq and Dwight Howard can only dream about and jumps so high that he can get his whole head above the rim from a standing jump........but with all of that he still hasn't figured out how to put it all together on a consistent basis. I picture Drummonds game a like a big puzzle with all the pieces spread apart, some people take those puzzles and put them together quickly, some take a little longer than others and some never put the puzzle together. I sure hope Drummond learns how to put it all together because if/when he does.......We'll have the most dominant big man in the NBA.

"You would never know how tall Jason Maxiell is because of how hard he plays. He may be 6-5, 6-6 -- he calls himself 6-8 -- but he plays like he's seven feet. That's what it boils down to: he plays as hard as he can every single play," rookie Andre Drummond said after the game, who had three blocks of his own.

The more I see Drummond play the more I understand why he fell to us. This kid has a ton of physical tools and gifts, he's big, strong, extremely fast, quick, has a solid feel for the game, a great soft touch around the rim that Shaq and Dwight Howard can only dream about and jumps so high that he can get his whole head above the rim from a standing jump........but with all of that he still hasn't figured out how to put it all together on a consistent basis. I picture Drummonds game a like a big puzzle with all the pieces spread apart, some people take those puzzles and put them together quickly, some take a little longer than others and some never put the puzzle together. I sure hope Drummond learns how to put it all together because if/when he does.......We'll have the most dominant big man in the NBA.

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My feeling is that Drummond hasn't put it all together because he didn't need to. His athleticism and coordination has been a detriment to his game since he never had to master technique to maximize an activity. Also, it seems like his environment was poor. Like people were exploiting his freakish gifts. I see him as a prodigy that has finally found a place where he fits in. His reaction to adversity is still in question but he's been far from disinterested or lazy. He's still probably two years off...which is good becuase so is knight.

When I heard that the Pistons drafted him and I read some articles about him that called him raw, I was expected something a lot worse. I figured he'd look lost on the court, that he'd throw bad passes, that he'd foul a lot, and that he'd have hands of stone.

However, the only thing that looks raw to me after watching him is his offensive technique (footwork, shooting mechanics, go-to post move). He passes surprising well, he hasn't dropped a pass yet, he finishes without dunking at a high rate, he's an active help defender that blocks shots without fouling, and he generally looks poised on the court. Greg Monroe is raw in most of the same ways to be honest.

Even Drummond's FT's don't look as ugly as his percentage. Nice arc, swishes when he makes them. Some raw centers have line drives or really strange form on their FTs.

A true offensive game like we would want will probably never come. My guess is that he'll develop some moderately effective, but ugly, go-to shots that will allow him to score when he can't get to the rim. He'll do most of his damage off of designed plays, alley oops, offensive rebound put-backs, fast breaks, and great passes from Monroe. If he does that and becomes one of the league's best rebounders and shot blockers, then that will be good enough to get him in some all-star games. The one thing that I do expect him to actually improve at is FT shooting. He has the coordination and he's young, so I see him > 55% in a season or two. You basically have to be better than the expected value of a possession to avoid the hack-a-Dre.

My feeling is that Drummond hasn't put it all together because he didn't need to. His athleticism and coordination has been a detriment to his game since he never had to master technique to maximize an activity. Also, it seems like his environment was poor. Like people were exploiting his freakish gifts. I see him as a prodigy that has finally found a place where he fits in. His reaction to adversity is still in question but he's been far from disinterested or lazy. He's still probably two years off...which is good becuase so is knight.

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I just think he needs a really good coach, he's only a "project" because he just doesn't know how to use his tools in a cohesive manner. Because he's so naturally gifted, he doesn't know how gifted he truly is, he simply doesn't know that he's completely capable of Eating Babies! He's an eagle, but he thinks that he's a regular bird, so he doesn't realize just how high he can soar.

If you were interviewing a guy to the be the bouncer at your bar and he listed his top 3 favorite movies as March of the Penguins, Happy Feet 1, and Happy Feet 2, I'm guessing that you wouldn't hire him.

Wilt Chamberlain was such a great player and dominant force that he would be certain to be on the floor in late-game situations if the score was close. However, he was such a poor free throw shooter (51%) that if the opposition needed to employ intentional fouling late in the game, Chamberlain would always be that team's target. Just as the opposition was eager to send Chamberlain to the free throw line because of his ineptitude there, Chamberlain himself was reluctant to go for that same reason. This led to the spectacle of virtually an entire other game being held away from the ball and almost completely outside of the basketball game being played, as Chamberlain essentially played a de facto game of tag with defenders, attempting to run from and dodge them as they chased him trying to foul him.